The game is set in an alternate history of the United States, where the Civil War never ended and the country is still divided into the Union and Confederate states. A major arms dealer has become a dictatorial figurehead and has his eyes set on world domination. Damnation's main character, Hamilton Rourke, is a disgraced soldier out to stop him.

Rourke can perform a variety of acrobatic moves to help him accomplish his task. He can swing from ledges and lamp posts, dive through windows, wall jump, and use ziplines. Players will quickly learn that moving higher in the map offers a tactical advantage in the game. Hang from ledges and shimmy past battles undetected, cling to a rooftop and shoot over the edge on unsuspecting enemies. Rourke also has a skill that allows him to view auras, allowing him to spot opponents no matter their location, even through walls.

Damnation features both co-op and versus multiplayer modes. In co-op, the second player controls the various NPCs who assist Rourke for limited periods throughout the game. The versus mode offers the standard modes like King of the Hill and Deathmatch set in a variety of maps.IGN: Damnation - Multiplayer Walkthrough (Time: 3:02) Official Site: Damnation